(4) Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
At the number four pick, the Seahawks got the number 1 player in this draft. Curry is a beast - 6'3", 250 pounds, and he runs a 4.5 40. Curry will immediately come in to Seattle as the best linebacker on the team - and that's a huge statement considering perennial Pro-Bowler Lofa Tatupu mans the middle while recently resigned Leroy Hill plays on the other side. Curry is great in coverage, great against the run, fast to the ball, tackles well, and had a very large number of interceptions and big plays while at Wake. The one thing he didn't do there was rush the quarterback, but that was almost 100% due to their defensive scheme. Curry has the size and speed to be a terror coming after the QB, and the Seahawks will use him significantly in that role.
Curry is the most versatile player in the draft. Curry is the fastest linebacker that the NFL has seen in quite some time (probably since Urlacher). Curry has an NFL-ready body, has shown the ability to make big plays, and on top of all that, fits a position of need for Seattle after the trade of Julian Peterson.
Pick Grade: A+.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Pick 3: KC
Kansas City selected Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU. Jackson is a big, powerful, agile, and quick Defensive End. He's more of a throwback to the traditional DE mold of Bruce Smith and Reggie White than the speed rushers who predominate at the position in the modern NFL. Most draft observers considered this pick a significant reach - up until the last week before the draft, Jackson was projected to go in the 12-20 range. That said, to some extent he makes good sense to Kansas City. Playing in a 3-4 Defense, he provides fantastic versatility at the position to both stop the run and rush the passer. On the other hand, the Chiefs need a whole lot of help at a whole lot of positions, and while defensive line is important, I'm not sure its the best strategy to draft for position instead of taking the best player available, which Jackson clearly was not.
On the whole, the Chiefs got a very good player at #3, but you're supposed to get more than that. Pick Grade: C+.
On the whole, the Chiefs got a very good player at #3, but you're supposed to get more than that. Pick Grade: C+.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Pick 2: St. Louis
The Pick: Jason Smith, LT, Baylor
Smith is a versatile tackle in the mold of Walter Jones. Smith has great feet, a perfect left tackle frame, and outstanding athleticism - he played tight end in high school and was only 235 pounds when he started playing for the Baylor Bears. Ultimately, Smith is not the most NFL-ready of the Tackles in this draft. That honor likely belongs to Eugene Monroe. But, he clearly has the biggest upside, and is a potentially true pass-rushing stopper at the left tackle position. Smith should improve and grow into his new role in Saint Louis protecting Marc Bulger. In two years, this will prove to be an outstanding selection.
Pick Grade: A-.
Smith is a versatile tackle in the mold of Walter Jones. Smith has great feet, a perfect left tackle frame, and outstanding athleticism - he played tight end in high school and was only 235 pounds when he started playing for the Baylor Bears. Ultimately, Smith is not the most NFL-ready of the Tackles in this draft. That honor likely belongs to Eugene Monroe. But, he clearly has the biggest upside, and is a potentially true pass-rushing stopper at the left tackle position. Smith should improve and grow into his new role in Saint Louis protecting Marc Bulger. In two years, this will prove to be an outstanding selection.
Pick Grade: A-.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
NFL Draft 2009
The NFL Draft took place last weekend, and this blog will take a look at a few of the top prospects taken over the weekend. We'll break down their strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures, and potential.
(1) Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford, Jr., QB, Georgia
Stafford has all of the tools to become a superstar NFL QB. He has the arm of a Dan Marino or a Brett Favre, can throw the ball a mile, and can do so accurately. Stafford has show excellent footwork in the pocket throughout his Georgia career, and clearly has the ability to make all of the throws required of an NFL starting Quarterback.
Unfortunately for the Lions, Stafford has also been wildly inconsistent. If you take a look at his performance against LSU this past season, you would think Stafford is a sure-fire hall of famer. He was facing multiple defensive fronts, stunts, and blitzes from every possible angle and position on the field. And he absolutely destroyed the Tiger defense, which included DE Tyson Jackson, taken No. 3 overall by Kansas City.
On the flip side, take a look at Stafford's performance against Alabama last season in the early SEC schedule, and you'll find a strikingly different picture. Stafford was rattled, looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and couldn't get his offense moving at all in the first half (the game was effectively over at half-time).
In the final analysis, Matt Stafford has all the tools to become an extremely successful NFL Quarterback. He also has exhibited all of the inconsistencies of the classic No.1 QB Bust (See Tim Couch, Alex Smith, David Carr, Andre Ware, etc). My money's on Stafford succeeding, but it's no better than a 55-45 shot that he's successful. For Stafford to blossom into what he could become, the Lions will have to give him an effective offensive line. Carr certainly failed because he was sacked every other play, and if Detroit can avoid this, Stafford's chances at success rise exponentially. The Lions already have weapons at WR, have a couple of solid RB's, and an improving defense. But the O-Line still looks inadequate.
Pick Grade: B.
(1) Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford, Jr., QB, Georgia
Stafford has all of the tools to become a superstar NFL QB. He has the arm of a Dan Marino or a Brett Favre, can throw the ball a mile, and can do so accurately. Stafford has show excellent footwork in the pocket throughout his Georgia career, and clearly has the ability to make all of the throws required of an NFL starting Quarterback.
Unfortunately for the Lions, Stafford has also been wildly inconsistent. If you take a look at his performance against LSU this past season, you would think Stafford is a sure-fire hall of famer. He was facing multiple defensive fronts, stunts, and blitzes from every possible angle and position on the field. And he absolutely destroyed the Tiger defense, which included DE Tyson Jackson, taken No. 3 overall by Kansas City.
On the flip side, take a look at Stafford's performance against Alabama last season in the early SEC schedule, and you'll find a strikingly different picture. Stafford was rattled, looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and couldn't get his offense moving at all in the first half (the game was effectively over at half-time).
In the final analysis, Matt Stafford has all the tools to become an extremely successful NFL Quarterback. He also has exhibited all of the inconsistencies of the classic No.1 QB Bust (See Tim Couch, Alex Smith, David Carr, Andre Ware, etc). My money's on Stafford succeeding, but it's no better than a 55-45 shot that he's successful. For Stafford to blossom into what he could become, the Lions will have to give him an effective offensive line. Carr certainly failed because he was sacked every other play, and if Detroit can avoid this, Stafford's chances at success rise exponentially. The Lions already have weapons at WR, have a couple of solid RB's, and an improving defense. But the O-Line still looks inadequate.
Pick Grade: B.
Friday, January 30, 2009
National Letter of Intent Day
... is next Wednesday, February 4. There are still some very highly-touted prospects out there to be snapped up, but most of the top-end guys have already made verbal commitments. Some schools are still finishing out their classes, while others are finished. But, in recent years, we've had more late changes of decision than used to be normal.
So, in the immediate wake of National LOI Day, we'll be running a few capsules on recruiting by conference. As always, it looks like the SEC will lock down the best cumulative class - we'll take a look at things like whether Alabama has done enough to both replace John Parker Wilson and whether they've set themselves up for long-term success. LSU also has an interesting story - can Les Miles maintain his past recruiting success and keep the Tigers' foundation strong in the face of renewed competition from Mississippi and Alabama? And can Florida continue to add to an already outstanding, young base of talent.
Look for conference capsules late next week. There will also, certainly, be an in-depth look at Steve Sarkisian's sort-of-first, two month UW class.
So, in the immediate wake of National LOI Day, we'll be running a few capsules on recruiting by conference. As always, it looks like the SEC will lock down the best cumulative class - we'll take a look at things like whether Alabama has done enough to both replace John Parker Wilson and whether they've set themselves up for long-term success. LSU also has an interesting story - can Les Miles maintain his past recruiting success and keep the Tigers' foundation strong in the face of renewed competition from Mississippi and Alabama? And can Florida continue to add to an already outstanding, young base of talent.
Look for conference capsules late next week. There will also, certainly, be an in-depth look at Steve Sarkisian's sort-of-first, two month UW class.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
And the National Champion is…..
The Florida Gators. I’ll explain why in the following post. To sum it all up, Florida is the more complete team in this game. They may not be the most complete team in college football this season – that honor likely belongs to USC, judging from their performances in the second half of the season and in the Rose Bowl. But Florida is the more complete team in the 2009 FedEx National Championship Game.
Keys to Victory: Florida
(1) Control the clock and run the football well in the early parts of the game. Oklahoma has the best offense in college football. While Florida’s defense is one of the best in the country, I’m not sure even USC can stop the Sooner attack. The best way to keep them from scoring 50-plus points is to keep them off the field. It will also help keep Florida’s defense fresh into the later portions of the game. Percy Harvin’s health will be critical in this effort, and Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey had better suit up to play in this one. I see Florida successfully achieving this key – and that’s a good thing for Gators fans as it is the most important facet of the game.
(2) Minimize mistakes and turnovers. This is obviously a key in any game, but is even bigger when you’re facing an offense like Oklahoma. Giving the Sooners extra offensive opportunities will cost Florida this game.
(3) Stop Oklahoma’s rushing attack on first down. Oklahoma runs the vast majority of their offense out of the shotgun. Yet the Sooners run somewhere around 75% of the time on first down. Stopping their first down ground attack should make the Sooners much more one-dimensional on offense. This will take the pressure off of Florida’s D-Line, freeing the ends up to pin their ears back and put Sam Bradford on the ground on a consistent basis.
Keys to Victory: Oklahoma
(1) Push the tempo of the game. Oklahoma puts up huge offensive numbers in part because they don’t use the whole play clock between snaps. The more opportunities they have, the more points they’ll score. And, it’ll stop Florida from getting substitutions on defense and cut down communication between the Gators’ defensive coaches and their on-field unit.
(2) Stop Harvin, Demps, and Rainey on the ground. And no, I did not include Tebow in this. Reason: There’s no way any defense in America will stop both the trap runs up the middle and the designed runs and scrambles of Tebow. Cutting off the up-the-middle runs is extremely critical to keeping Florida’s time of possession down in this game. Oklahoma’s strong point is their offense, and the Sooners have to do everything in their power to keep that offense on the field for 35-plus minutes in this one if they want to win.
(3) Run the football successfully without DeMarco Murray. Chris Brown is a dynamic running back, but most college football observers would agree that he’s not near the talent that DeMarco Murray is. Running the ball and mixing up the play calling on first down will be critical to controlling time of possession in this game. Oklahoma has to do this successfully to win.
Final Analysis and Closing Comments
Both teams have playmakers all over the field. Both teams have uber-talented quarterbacks who know how to win big games. Both teams have coaches at the very top of their profession. What separates Oklahoma and Florida in this one? The Gators have fewer holes. Oklahoma’s defense will be unable to successfully slow down the Demps/Rainey/Harvin trio, allowing Florida to control the tempo and flow of the game. Tim Tebow makes a spectacular play in the fourth quarter to seal this one for the Gators. Urban Meyer keeps the title trophy in the SEC for the third consecutive year, and gets his second in three seasons. This one is lower scoring that people think, as these type of games usually are. Florida Gators 27, Oklahoma Sooners 21.
Keys to Victory: Florida
(1) Control the clock and run the football well in the early parts of the game. Oklahoma has the best offense in college football. While Florida’s defense is one of the best in the country, I’m not sure even USC can stop the Sooner attack. The best way to keep them from scoring 50-plus points is to keep them off the field. It will also help keep Florida’s defense fresh into the later portions of the game. Percy Harvin’s health will be critical in this effort, and Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey had better suit up to play in this one. I see Florida successfully achieving this key – and that’s a good thing for Gators fans as it is the most important facet of the game.
(2) Minimize mistakes and turnovers. This is obviously a key in any game, but is even bigger when you’re facing an offense like Oklahoma. Giving the Sooners extra offensive opportunities will cost Florida this game.
(3) Stop Oklahoma’s rushing attack on first down. Oklahoma runs the vast majority of their offense out of the shotgun. Yet the Sooners run somewhere around 75% of the time on first down. Stopping their first down ground attack should make the Sooners much more one-dimensional on offense. This will take the pressure off of Florida’s D-Line, freeing the ends up to pin their ears back and put Sam Bradford on the ground on a consistent basis.
Keys to Victory: Oklahoma
(1) Push the tempo of the game. Oklahoma puts up huge offensive numbers in part because they don’t use the whole play clock between snaps. The more opportunities they have, the more points they’ll score. And, it’ll stop Florida from getting substitutions on defense and cut down communication between the Gators’ defensive coaches and their on-field unit.
(2) Stop Harvin, Demps, and Rainey on the ground. And no, I did not include Tebow in this. Reason: There’s no way any defense in America will stop both the trap runs up the middle and the designed runs and scrambles of Tebow. Cutting off the up-the-middle runs is extremely critical to keeping Florida’s time of possession down in this game. Oklahoma’s strong point is their offense, and the Sooners have to do everything in their power to keep that offense on the field for 35-plus minutes in this one if they want to win.
(3) Run the football successfully without DeMarco Murray. Chris Brown is a dynamic running back, but most college football observers would agree that he’s not near the talent that DeMarco Murray is. Running the ball and mixing up the play calling on first down will be critical to controlling time of possession in this game. Oklahoma has to do this successfully to win.
Final Analysis and Closing Comments
Both teams have playmakers all over the field. Both teams have uber-talented quarterbacks who know how to win big games. Both teams have coaches at the very top of their profession. What separates Oklahoma and Florida in this one? The Gators have fewer holes. Oklahoma’s defense will be unable to successfully slow down the Demps/Rainey/Harvin trio, allowing Florida to control the tempo and flow of the game. Tim Tebow makes a spectacular play in the fourth quarter to seal this one for the Gators. Urban Meyer keeps the title trophy in the SEC for the third consecutive year, and gets his second in three seasons. This one is lower scoring that people think, as these type of games usually are. Florida Gators 27, Oklahoma Sooners 21.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A short detour from college football
This is worthy of posting. I encourage everyone reading this blog to take a look at this article... very interesting story.
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